Career Summary

Biography

I am a biologist working in a variety of research fields including ecology, conservation, evolution and reproduction in terrestrial vertebrates. I am passionate about amphibians and these often form the core models for my research, which has led me to work in the Amphibian Research Laboratory at the University of Newcastle.

Many of my research projects involve long-term field work collecting significant data sets to explain ecological and evolutionary processes over time. The conservation of Australia’s unique fauna is also a major driver for my work. This has seen a multi-million dollar research program established to investigate and reverse the decline of the green and golden bell frog.

A major component of my research career has been the investigation of the impact of invasive cane toads on terrestrial ecosystems in the Kimberley wilderness of northern Western Australia, where I have been gathering data on the fauna of the east Kimberley, before the onset of toads. This work has led to numerous high-impact publications on the impacts of toads on Australian ecosystems, and ways in which to mitigate this impact.

My interest in reproductive biology along with my passion for conservation has led me to become a major advocate for biotechnological approaches to conservation and stopping species extinctions, such as gene banking and assisted reproductive technologies. This work has also resulted in a cutting-edge collaborative project on de-extinction that saw the revival of live embryos of an extinct frog species through cloning – which was named in TIME magazine’s top 25 inventions of 2013.

Due to my expertise and experience with frogs, I have been invited as a specialist expert scientist to participate in numerous workshops to inform and direct policy and management of Australia’s frog fauna, and have been invited to participate in Australian Geographic scientific expeditions as the lead amphibian biologist in 2011, 2012 & 2013.

Research ExpertiseMy research is diverse and interdisciplinary, focused in the fields of ecology, evolutionary biology, conservation biology and reproductive biology (specifically Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Gene Banking) within terrestrial vertebrates. I choose often to focus upon amphibians as my core model, although I also work on reptiles, mammals and birds. These research fields and techniques often integrate, with many of my projects incorporating both field and laboratory elements. My work in the fields of ecology, conservation, and evolutionary biology has often involved large-scale and/or long-term field projects that have collected significant long-term data sets to explain ecological and evolutionary processes over time. This has also involved gathering a large amount of data on species that are in remote/difficult areas and have been little studied. A good example of this is a current project investigating the impact of invasive cane toads on terrestrial ecosystems in the remote Kimberley wilderness of the Western Australia tropics, gathering long-term baseline data on the fauna of the east Kimberley before the onset of toads. Many of the projects that I have established in these fields as chief investigator have involved establishing good working relationships with external collaborators, some of which are at the top of their fields (e.g. Professor H. Carl Gerhardt - looking at the evolution of complex acoustic signalling in frogs; Professor Mike Archer – De-extinction and ART in Australian frogs; Dr Sean Doody – impact of invasive cane toads on Kimberley fauna). My interest in reproductive biology along with my passion for conservation has led me to become a major advocate for biotechnological approaches to conservation and stopping species extinctions, such as gene banking and assisted reproductive technologies. This work has also resulted in a cutting-edge collaborative project on de-extinction that saw the revival of live embryos of an extinct frog species through cloning – which was named in TIME magazine’s top 25 inventions of 2013. Despite being in the early stages of my research career, I have made many significant contributions in my field to date. I have published in major international journals such as Biological Invasions, Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, Journal of Zoology and PLoS One. In my publications I have attempted to push new ground and have reported numerous novel findings e.g. investigating the drivers facilitating shifts between multiple spatio-temporal strategies in a single species (eastern grass owl) across its range. My work on de-extinction, which involved a collaborative project that saw the revival of live embryos of an extinct frog species through cloning, was named in TIME magazine’s top 25 inventions of 2013 – the only Australian invention to make the list. Current research projects include (some collaborative): - Impact of invasive cane toads in the Kimberley ranges, Western Australia - The development of cloning, Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) and gene banking for Australian frogs and reptiles - De-extinction of vertebrate fauna - Strategies for improving reproductive success in unpredictable environments using a model frog - Evolution of complex acoustic signalling in frogs - Social behaviour and complex nesting in the yellow-spotted monitor - Impact of introduced trout on threatened stream frogs in the NSW highlands - Investigations into the decline of the green and golden bell frog in NSW.

Teaching ExpertiseTeaching duties have included the preparation and delivery of lectures, tutorials, running practical classes such as laboratories and field trips, and course coordination roles. Lecturing duties have included preparing and delivering a series of 6 lectures on invasive species biology for a 3rd year biology course. I have also been the head tutor and had program convenor (course co-ordinator) responsibilities for a 1st year biology course (Organisms to Ecosystems) and a 2nd year course (Science in Practice), which is a compulsory course for all B. Sc. Students (approximately 165 students per year). Courses taught include BIOL1002 Organisms to Ecosystems; BIOL1003 Professional Skills for Biological Sciences 1; EMGT2050 Australian Fauna; BIOL2002 Laboratory Skills in Biological Systems; BIOL2070 Ecology; SCIT2000 Science in Practice; BIOL3350 Ecological Research and EMGT3030 Conservation Biology.

CollaborationsI have been fortunate enough to collaborate with several researchers at the top of their game which have led to ground breaking research outcomes including: Professor H. Carl Gerhardt - Looking at the evolution of complex acoustic signalling in frogs Professor Mike Archer – De-extinction and ART in Australian frogs Dr Sean Doody & Dr Colin McHenry – Impact of invasive cane toads on Kimberley fauna.

Although amphibians are one of the most threatened animal groups, little published evidence exists on effective management programs. In order for conservation initiatives to be su... [more]

Although amphibians are one of the most threatened animal groups, little published evidence exists on effective management programs. In order for conservation initiatives to be successful, an understanding of habitat use patterns is required to identify important environmental features. However, habitat use may differ between the different sexes and age classes due to different behavioural and resource requirements. For this study, we compared microhabitat use during the active breeding season among the sexes and age classes in the endangered green and golden bell frog Litoria aurea, a species which has had several failed management programs. We found aquatic vegetation was selected for by every L. aurea class, and should be the focus of future management plans for this species. Females were the only class to select for terrestrial vegetation more than availability. Increasing the amount of terrestrial vegetation around ponds may help encourage female occupancy, and possibly improve management outcomes, as they are typically a limiting resource. Although large rock piles have been used in past L. aurea habitat management, they were selected for by adults and juveniles, but not metamorphs. Therefore, large rocks may not be necessary for captive breeding portions of management initiatives, which typically only involve tadpoles and metamorphs prior to release. The results indicate that the most appropriate management plans should contain a habitat mosaic of various microhabitats, such as a large proportion of aquatic and terrestrial vegetation with patches of bare ground and a small proportion of rocks for basking and shelter. Recognizing differences in microhabitat use patterns between individuals in a population and implementing them into management strategies should be a pivotal step in any conservation plan.

Clulow J, Clulow S, 'Cryopreservation and other assisted reproductive technologies for the conservation of threatened amphibians and reptiles: bringing the ARTs up to speed.', Reproduction, fertility, and development, (2016) [C1]

Dating back to 255 Mya, a diversity of vertebrate species have excavated mysterious, deep helical burrows called Daimonelix (devil&apos;s corkscrews). The possible functions of su... [more]

Dating back to 255 Mya, a diversity of vertebrate species have excavated mysterious, deep helical burrows called Daimonelix (devil's corkscrews). The possible functions of such structures are manifold, but their paucity in extant animals has frustrated their adaptive explanation. We recently discovered the first helical reptile burrows, created by the monitor lizard Varanus panoptes. The plugged burrows terminated in nest chambers that were the deepest known of any vertebrate, and by far the deepest of any reptile (mean = 2.3 m, range = 1.0-3.6 m, N = 52). A significant positive relationship between soil moisture and nest depth persisted at depths > 1 m, suggesting that deep nesting in V. panoptes may be an evolutionary response to egg desiccation during the long (approximately 8 months) dry season incubation period. Alternatively, lizards may avoid shallower nesting because even slight daily temperature fluctuations are detrimental to developing embryos; our data show that this species may have the most stable incubation environment of any reptile and possibly any ectotherm. Soil-filled burrows do not support the hypothesis generated for Daimonelix that the helix would provide more consistent temperature and humidity as a result of limited air circulation in dry palaeoclimates. We suggest that Daimonelix were used mainly for nesting or rearing young, because helical burrows of extant vertebrates are generally associated with a nest. The extraordinary nesting in this lizard reflects a system in which adaptive hypotheses for the function of fossil helical burrows can be readily tested.

Magin N, Clulow S, Clulow J, 'Limitations of CASA for the assessment of sperm motility of myobatrachid and hylid sperm stored in an inactivated state', Proceedings of the 37th Meeting of the Australian Society of Herpetologists, Point Wolstoncroft, Australia, Point Wolstoncroft, Australia (2013)